Fantasy basketball playoff heroes deserve props, but should we prioritize them in drafts next season?

When the regular season hits crunch time, fantasy basketball managers know it's about to get real. This season, the playoffs (spanning anywhere from Week 18 through Week 22) had several stars and waiver wire heroes go above and beyond to carry teams to fantasy championships. Here’s the roundup of the league-winning players during the final weeks of the season.

Note: There are plenty of highly valued players who did their thing when it mattered most, but the players in this article are the guys who elevated their value by several rounds relative to their regular-season performance. 

???? Highly Rostered Gems

Kawhi Leonard - SG/SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi was (surprisingly) the steady hand fantasy managers dreamed of down the stretch. Across 13 games in the fantasy postseason, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.5 3s and 2 steals with efficient 55/46/82 shooting splits. He ranked 3rd in 9-cat leagues over that span, even playing in a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back to close Week 22. Leonard provided third-round value for much of the season, so taking this leap at a critical point of the season must be celebrated.

Fantasy stock: Unchanged. I'd be cautious with drafting Leonard because of the questions around his full-season availability. 

O.G. Anunoby - SF/PF, New York Knicks

Knicks fans wish two-time gold medalist Suni Lee could be in the building more often because OG has a habit of showing out whenever she's sitting in the front row. That aside, OG was the fourth-best player in 9-cat leagues during the playoffs. The two-way force averaged 24.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 2.9 threes on a sharp 51 FG% from the field in a 15-game playoff run. He stepped up more than any other Knick while Jalen Brunson was out and his late-season ascension was a massive gain for fantasy managers.

Fantasy stock: Anunoby's stock is up and he should be the third Knick drafted by the fifth round next year.

Coby White - PG/SG, Chicago Bulls

Man, what got into Coby White? He became one of the most feared players in fantasy over the season's final weeks, delivering 28.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 threes per game in 14 games. What made it better was that he transformed into a beacon of efficiency, going from a mid-40% FG shooter to 53% over that span of games. White was a second-round value during the fantasy playoffs, a far improvement from his sixth-round grade before the fantasy playoffs. 

Fantasy stock: I think the Bulls found their backcourt of the future with Giddey and White. Still, I'd view him as a 7th/8th round player because the late-season efficiency boost will regress. 

Deni Avdija -SF/PF, Portland Trail Blazers

Avdija went wild, dropping his second-career triple-double all while amassing an impressive 26.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over a 13-game playoff stretch. The efficiency was there too, and he leaped into top-10 stats in 9-cat leagues. That's some silly season stuff right there, but those who had Avdija aren't complaining as they're likely hoisting a championship trophy. A 10th-rounder during most of the season, that nine-round leap was noteworthy.

Fantasy stock: Like White, Avdija will likely be overdrafted after his late-season showcase. However, I think he's a top 100 player who can be selected a couple of rounds higher than his 11th round ADP this season. 

Devin Vassell - SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs
Losing Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox certainly aided in Vassell's late-season surge. Still, seeing him rebound late after his production dipped across several categories this season was great. In 16 games, Vassell was 24th in 9-cat leagues, averaging 18.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and an encouraging 3.3 3-pointers while converting on 47% of his shot attempts.

Fantasy stock: Given that two high-usage guys are ahead of Vassell when fully healthy, I'd target Vassell in the 8th or 9th round next season.

Honorable mention: Brandin Podziemski - PG/SG, Golden State Warriors

????????‍♂️ Waiver Wire Heroes

Quentin Grimes - SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers

Grimes lit it up when it mattered most, proving himself as one of the waiver wire steals of the fantasy regular and playoff season. He averaged 27.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 threes and 1.9 steals per game. His minutes stayed high (34.5 mpg), and his energy on both ends of the court translated to valuable production. Fantasy managers lucky enough to scoop him were rewarded handsomely.

Fantasy stock: Grimes earned himself a hefty raise this offseason. But, will the Sixers re-sign him? They should. But until that happens, it's hard to gauge where to draft him (if at all) next year.

Adem Bona - C, Philadelphia 76ers

Bona was a late-season revelation for those desperate for blocks and rebounds. Over 11 games, he averaged 12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and a very useful 2.5 blocks per game. His hyper-efficient 70 FG% and imposing frontcourt presence had him perform at a second-round level. 

Fantasy stock: We need to know more about Joel Embiid's health and the direction of the Sixers franchise, but I'm not expecting Bona to be fantasy relevant outside of deeper formats. 

Scotty Pippen Jr. - PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies

Pippen Jr. was a crucial deep-league asset when Ja Morant dealt with a hamstring injury early in the fantasy playoffs. Even after Taylor Jenkins was fired, he contributed 13.1 points, 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals over 14 games. Let's see what the Grizzlies do in the offseason, but he looks to be a fixture of the rotation who can produce in a reserve role with limited minutes. 

Fantasy stock: I expect he'll be a waiver wire guy again next season. 

Aaron Nesmith -SF/PF, Indiana Pacers

Nesmith’s stretch of games during the playoffs went slightly under the radar, but he's a player who was on a couple of winning teams for me. Across 15 games, he contributed 14.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and a solid 2.6 threes with 1.1 steals per game. He also shot 52.3% from the field and 92.3% from the line, which helped fantasy managers in deep leagues. Going from a 10th-round value before the fantasy playoffs to a sixth-rounder was an unexpected turn of events. 

Fantasy stock: Unchanged. Nesmith is one of those guys you'll pick up throughout the season. 

Final Thoughts

Fantasy basketball playoffs are often about finding those hidden gems while relying on your stars to deliver, and this year was no different. Whether you leaned on big names like Kawhi Leonard or struck gold with waiver pickups like Quentin Grimes, these players delivered when it mattered most.